EcoSurvey 2014: Massive investment needed for skill development, says Arun Jaitley

NEW DELHI: "Massive" investments are required in the field of skill development, women empowerment and ramping up social infrastructure in the country, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said today.

Jaitley said massive efforts are needed in the form of investment in social infrastructure, skill development and empowerment of women, an official release said.

The Finance Minister also tabled the Economic Survey for 2013-14 in Parliament today.

According to the pre-Budget document, the outlook and challenges for the human development front could be positive given the large demographic dividend waiting to be tapped.

"This demographic dividend will benefit India if its population is healthy, educated and adequately skilled. Unleashing the time-bound potential of demographic dividend is the biggest challenge for India," it added.

One of the challenges is to deal with multiple and sometimes overlapping programmes, the Survey said, adding a mere mark up each year in the budget for existing programmes or starting some new programmes will not suffice.

"What is needed is a 'Zero Budgeting' approach with a revamp, reorganisation and convergence of social sector schemes with a minimum size prescribed for the schemes," it added.

Outlay for different schemes have not often translated fully into outcomes owing to the poor delivery mechanism.

Leveraging modern technology for efficient delivery of programmes, removing the multiple layers of governance, simplifying procedures and greater participatory role by the beneficiaries can help in creating a better delivery mechanism, the document said.

There is a need for greater degree of accessibility to information for the public, especially about the role, awareness levels and capacity building activities at gram sabha level.

Devolution of powers in real terms like for funds, functions and functionaries to the panchayati raj institutions will lead to better and more effective planning, execution, monitoring and social audit of panchayat centric programmes, the Survey said.